Apache Junction board approves 1% base pay bump, adopts step‑less pay bands and ESI change

The Apache Junction Unified School District governing board voted Feb. 24 to approve several personnel and compensation changes, including a 1% base salary increase for employees, new step‑less pay bands for classified staff and administrators, and a revision to contractual pay treatment for employees on ESI.

Superintendent Doctor Papalardo said the 1% base increase would cost the district “approximately $215,000” and explained how the district would pay for it: about $99,000 from the state-provided site fund, $80,000–$85,000 from maintenance and operations (M&O), and roughly $30,000–$31,000 from grant funding. The board debated whether to treat the increase as a stipend or a permanent base raise; multiple members argued putting it in the base better supports retention and retirement calculations. The board approved the 1% as base pay, 5 to 0.

Board members also spent extended time on the classified step‑less salary schedule, which replaces traditional steps with pay bands that set a beginning and end rate for job categories. Human resources told the board they were being asked to approve the pay bands (the dollar ranges) and that operational rules for placing an individual employee within a band — based on experience and certificates — would be presented to the board at a future work session. Missus Garcia said she wanted to see the placement formula for consistency; HR agreed to bring that material to a work session. The classification pay bands were approved as presented.

On ESI (an external staffing/retirement arrangement), the board approved a change to contractual salary paid through ESI to 82% effective July 1, 2026, with returning district employees to receive 90% of the salary they earned when they joined ESI. Superintendent Papalardo framed the change as aligning district costs and noted the 82% level applies to retirements in the 2026–27 school year; employees who return after the year on ESI would be placed at 90% of prior pay. The board approved the change.

Board members said the actions together are intended to help Apache Junction compete for and retain certified and classified staff in a tight labor market. Papalardo told the board statewide shortages are significant: “Arizona is 4,004 teachers short,” a figure he used to frame the urgency of retention efforts. Several trustees emphasized the importance of transparency in how employees are placed within bands and asked HR to provide the underlying placement documentation at the next work session.

The measures take effect for the 2026–27 school year; the board directed staff to return with implementation details and to present the placement formula for classified and administrative bands in a work session.